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Category: Immigration
May 23, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Immigration
World

1 in 3 Young Adults Now Come From Migrant Backgrounds in Major European Nation.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Around one in three young adult Germans now come from migration backgrounds.

👥 Who’s Involved: German government, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), immigrant-background Germans.

📍 Where & When: Destatis released the 2024 demographic statistics on May 22.

⚠️ Impact: The figures reveal the rapidly changing demographics in the European Union’s largest country.

IN FULL:

Around one in three young adults in the European Union’s largest country, by population and economy, now comes from a migration background. Among those aged 20 to 39, at least a third of Germans are either migrants or the children of two migrant parents.

Overall, the country’s migrant-background population stood at 25.6 percent in 2024, according to the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), which published the data this week. This figure is an increase compared to 2023, when migrant-background residents comprised 24.7 percent of the population.

In real numbers, migrant-background Germans total over 21.2 million people, increasing by a massive 873,000 since 2023. The German government figures also revealed that since the migrant crisis that began under Angela Merkel in 2015, around 6.5 million people had moved to Germany by 2024.

Between 2015 and 2021, the single largest nationality represented in the figures was Syrians, with over 716,000 moving to Germany. Around one in 20 Syrians worldwide live in Germany, and over 513,000 of them live on some form of government welfare. Nearly half of all welfare recipients in the country are foreigners.

Between 2022 and 2024, however, Ukrainians took the lead, with 843,000 moving to the country amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, with Syrians relegated to second place.

While the number of German residents with migrant backgrounds is high among young adults, it is much lower among those aged over 65, at one in seven.

Many of the Germans with migration backgrounds come from Muslim-majority countries such as Syria or Turkey. Last year, the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN) discovered that nearly half of young Muslims in grade nine favoured the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate in Germany.

Image by Rasande Tyskar.

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May 22, 2025
Education
Immigration

Trump Goes Even Further in Foreign Student Crackdown.

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❓What Happened: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked Harvard University’s student visa program over allegations of non-compliance with federal requests for records and “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”

👥 Who’s Involved: DHS, Harvard University, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

📍 Where & When: Harvard University, effective for the 2025-2026 academic year.

💬 Key Quote: “As a result of your brazen refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information… you have lost this privilege,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote.

⚠️ Impact: Harvard cannot enroll foreign students starting in the 2025-2026 school year, and current foreign students must transfer or leave the U.S. before the next academic year.

IN FULL:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revoked Harvard University‘s ability to host international students under the student visa program. The decision cites “pro-terrorist conduct” at campus protests and the university’s failure to comply with federal reporting requirements. The decision prohibits Harvard from enrolling foreign students for the 2025-2026 academic year, and current foreign students must transfer or leave the U.S. before the upcoming school year begins.

“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding: “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused.”

Meanwhile, in a letter to Maureen Martin, Harvard’s director of immigration services, Noem stated that the university’s “brazen refusal” to provide requested records and its perpetuation of an “unsafe campus environment” led to the decision. Noem accused the university of fostering a hostile atmosphere for Jewish students, promoting pro-Hamas rhetoric, and implementing discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.

DHS had previously requested footage of protest activity involving visa-holding students, along with disciplinary records for the past five years. According to Noem, Harvard provided responses deemed “insufficient, incomplete, and unacceptable,” despite multiple follow-up requests. The university has been given 72 hours to comply fully with DHS demands to potentially regain its visa program for the next academic year.

The crackdown follows a series of pro-Hamas protests on U.S. campuses after the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel. At least a dozen Harvard students have already had their visas revoked over protest-related activity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress this week that “thousands” of student visas have likely been revoked nationwide, emphasizing that a visa is “a privilege, not a right.”

The Trump administration has also frozen nearly $3 billion in federal funding to Harvard, citing failures to address antisemitism and concerns over DEI policies. Investigations into the university are ongoing across multiple federal departments.

Currently, it is estimated that 27 percent of Harvard’s total enrolled student population is foreign, at just under 7,000. With the total cost for a foreign student to attend the Ivy League university estimated to be over $100,000 per year, the loss of those students could be a crippling financial blow to Harvard, in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Image by Adam Fagen.

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Migrant Crime
May 21, 2025
William Upton
Immigration
Lawfare

Biden Judge Halts Trump Plan to Deport Criminal Illegals to South Sudan.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration violated his order to provide “meaningful” due process to a group of illegal immigrants facing deportation. In the decision, U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy also suggested that Trump immigration officials could have committed criminal contempt by moving forward with the deportation flight.

👥 Who’s Involved: Illegal immigrants from Burma, Vietnam, Mexico, Cuba, and Laos; U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy; and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

📍 Where & When: The illegal immigrants were allegedly flown from Texas earlier this week; Judge Murphy issued his ruling on Wednesday, May 21, after ordering DHS to maintain custody of the deportees late on Tuesday.

💬 Key Quote: “A local judge in Massachusetts is trying to force the United States to bring back these uniquely barbaric monsters who present a clear and present threat to the safety of the American people and American victims,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said before the ruling on Wednesday.

⚠️ Impact: The ruling marks the latest interference by the U.S. federal courts in President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to deport dangerous illegal immigrants from the United States, some with removal orders dating back decades.

IN FULL:

A federal judge has intervened after reports surfaced that at least a dozen criminal illegal aliens, including migrants from Burma, Vietnam, and Mexico, were deported to South Sudan earlier this week. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy on Wednesday blocked the deportations and ordered the return of the illegal immigrants to the United States. In a previous ruling in April, the Joe Biden appointee ordered the Trump administration to ensure illegal immigrants slated for deportations to third countries received “meaningful” due process, but declined to provide detailed instructions as to what that would entail.

Late Tuesday, Judge Murphy issued an order instructing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to maintain custody of the deportees, who were alleged to be on a plane sitting on a South Sudanese runway. The directive, according to the federal district court judge, was to give him time to determine whether the removals were unlawful—a determination he made just several hours later.

While Judge Murphy acknowledged his April ruling did not provide details regarding what he expected in terms of due process for the deportees, he insisted the 12-hour notice given by U.S. immigration officials was “obviously insufficient.” Likewise, attorneys representing the illegal immigrants argued that immigration authorities violated the April ruling, contending that they were not given an adequate opportunity to contest deportation to third countries where their clients had no ties and could face safety concerns.

On Wednesday, before the court hearing, DHS officials confirmed that a flight carrying at least eight individuals departed from Texas. However, DHS declined to confirm whether South Sudan was the final destination. A list released by the department identified the passengers as having criminal records and included illegal immigrants from Cuba, Laos, and Mexico.

“A local judge in Massachusetts is trying to force the United States to bring back these uniquely barbaric monsters who present a clear and present threat to the safety of the American people and American victims,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said before the ruling.

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May 21, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Far-Left Democrat Set for Court Debut After Assaulting ICE Agents.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) faces charges of assaulting two federal agents during a visit to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.

👥 Who’s Involved: Rep. McIver, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D), Reps. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), ICE agents, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents.

📍 Where & When: Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, Newark, NJ, on May 9, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: McIver argues, “If I’m going to be charged with a crime for doing my job, it just speaks to where we’re headed in this country.”

⚠️ Impact: The incident poses a serious problem for Democrats as their more progressive and liberal wings work to portray the arrest as overreach by the Trump administration. However, more moderate and centrist party members, and voters at large, see the assault as an attack on law enforcement, and the Democratic Party’s continued defense of illegal immigrants over American citizens as distasteful.

IN FULL:

Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) is set to appear virtually before a federal magistrate judge on Wednesday following charges of assaulting two federal agents at an illegal immigrant detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, earlier this month. The Democrat lawmaker, alongside fellow New Jersey Reps. Robert Menendez and Bonnie Watson Coleman, was reportedly conducting oversight duties at the Delaney Hall U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on May 9. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was also present and was also arrested during the incident, though charges against him were later dismissed.

According to prosecutors, McIver allegedly used her forearm to strike a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent and attempted to restrain him. She is also accused of pushing and striking an ICE officer. Bodycam footage reportedly captured the events, which the Justice Department (DOJ) claims show McIver creating a “human shield” to block agents from detaining Baraka after he was warned to leave the property.

McIver has denied the allegations, calling them “purely political.” In a public statement, she said, “Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees… We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities… ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka.”

During a CNN interview, McIver criticized federal agents, stating, “They caused the confrontation… We were there to do our jobs.” She added, “If I’m going to be charged with a crime for doing my job, it just speaks to where we’re headed in this country.”

The court approved McIver’s request to appear virtually for her initial hearing, where her rights and charges will be read, and a bail package determined.

Witness accounts suggest tensions escalated when Baraka attempted to join the lawmakers inside the facility and was denied access by federal officials. An argument ensued, leading to his arrest.

The case has drawn criticism from figures like former Border Czar Tom Homan, who argued McIver “broke the law” and should face accountability. Prosecutors maintain that McIver’s actions interfered with federal law enforcement duties, while the Congresswoman insists she was fulfilling her official responsibilities.

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May 21, 2025
Immigration
News

Migrants Target Northern State as Trump’s Southern Border Becomes Impenetrable.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Illegal immigrant crossings in Maine reached their highest level in 24 years, with 113 arrests in April, according to U.S. Border Patrol. They have been driven to target the northern state by President Donald J. Trump’s southern border crackdown.

👥 Who’s Involved: Migrants from at least 16 countries, primarily Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

📍 Where & When: Maine, particularly the Houlton Sector of the Canadian border, April 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Due to the significant increase in arrests, the Houlton Sector coordinated air transport… to transfer 29 apprehended subjects… for further processing,” stated Border Patrol.

⚠️ Impact: Maine has seen a spike in illegal crossings, with numbers surpassing previous years, as migrants increasingly bypass the U.S.-Mexico border in favor of entry through Canada.

IN FULL:

Illegal border crossings in Maine surged to their highest point in 24 years last month, with U.S. Border Patrol reporting 113 arrests in April. This figure marks a significant increase from the 25 to 50 monthly encounters typical during the Biden government, according to officials in the Houlton Sector.

The rise in crossings comes as migrants from at least 16 countries, including Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico, increasingly opt to enter the U.S. via Canada, avoiding the southern border, which President Donald J. Trump is heavily protecting. Ecuadorians led the group, with 42 individuals apprehended, followed by 15 Guatemalans and 12 Mexicans. Six Venezuelans were also detained.

The Houlton Sector, covering Maine’s border with Canada, has already surpassed its total apprehensions from the previous fiscal year in just six months. In December, under the Biden government, only 18 migrants were encountered. That number rose to 50 in January after President Donald J. Trump took office, climbing steadily to 113 in April.

“Due to the significant increase in arrests, the Houlton Sector coordinated air transport with Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE ERO) to transfer 29 apprehended subjects… for further processing,” the Border Patrol noted in a statement.

The agency attributed the spike to enhanced enforcement efforts in Maine, even as crossings along the broader U.S.-Canada border have reportedly considerably declined. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that encounters in the Southwest Sector decreased by 95 percent in March. The sector covers parts of New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

President Trump threatened and later imposed tariffs on Canada in part because he believed it was not doing its part to stop the flow of drugs and migrants from north to south. Migrants entering the U.S. via Canada are particularly unlikely to have any legitimate asylum claims, with Canada being a relatively prosperous Western country.

Image by Lorie Shaull.

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May 20, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Migrants Face Fines Up to $1.8 Million.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: U.S. immigration authorities are issuing fines, some as high as $1.8 million, to illegal immigrants who failed to leave the country after deportation orders.

👥 Who’s Involved: Wendy Ortiz, a Salvadoran migrant; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Customs and Border Protection (CBP); immigration lawyers; and the Trump administration.

📍 Where & When: United States, with fines beginning to be issued in recent weeks under the Trump administration.

💬 Key Quote: “It’s not fair. Where is someone going to find that much money?” — Wendy Ortiz, fined $1.8 million.

⚠️ Impact: Illegal immigrants face steep financial penalties, potential property seizures, and legal challenges, with many unable to pay the fines for ignoring their deportation orders.

IN FULL:

U.S. immigration authorities have begun issuing substantial fines to illegal immigrants who have failed to leave the country after being ordered to do so, with penalties reaching as high as $1.8 million. Wendy Ortiz, a 32-year-old Salvadoran illegal immigrant living in Pennsylvania, was among those fined. Ortiz allegedly left her home country a decade ago.

“It’s not fair,” Ortiz told reporters. “Where is someone going to find that much money?” Her attorney, Rosina Stambaugh, has requested a 30-day extension to contest the fine, citing Ortiz’s lack of a criminal record and the supposed dangers she faces if deported. Notably, Ortiz failed to show up for her asylum hearing and later ignored a deportation order, though she claims she never received notification of either.

The fines are part of a Trump administration policy aimed at encouraging voluntary departure, or “self-deportation,” among illegal immigrants. A senior Trump official disclosed that over 4,500 migrants have been issued fines totaling more than $500 million. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been responsible for issuing the fines, while Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is tasked with handling potential property seizures.

The fines stem from a 1996 law that Trump administration immigration officials are enforcing. Under this policy, illegal immigrants can be fined $998 per day for failing to comply with deportation orders, with penalties applied retroactively for up to five years. This framework has resulted in fines as high as $1.8 million.

Immigration lawyers across the country have expressed shock at the severity of the penalties. Robert Scott, a New York-based attorney, noted that one of his clients, a low-income Mexican woman living in the U.S. for 25 years, was also fined $1.8 million. Scott—like attorneys for other illegal immigrants—claim the woman was unaware of her 2013 deportation order and is now seeking to reopen her case.

The Trump administration previously withdrew the imposition of similar fines during its first term after legal challenges but resumed issuing smaller penalties. The Biden government later dropped the fines in 2021.

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May 20, 2025
Immigration
NatSec

China-Linked Group Aids Illegal Migrants.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A nonprofit, the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), is under investigation by House Republicans for allegedly coaching illegal immigrants on avoiding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehension and receiving funding from Chinese government-linked entities.

👥 Who’s Involved: The CPC, House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), and Chinese government-linked organizations such as the Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

📍 Where & When: The investigation focuses on CPC operations in New York City, with alleged incidents occurring as recently as March 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “I’m deeply concerned that Americans’ hard-earned taxpayer dollars were potentially used by an NGO to help illegal aliens subvert our nation’s laws,” said Rep. Mark Green.

⚠️ Impact: CPC received $1.4 million in federal grants since 2022 and an estimated $445,969 from Chinese government-linked sources since 2018, raising questions about foreign influence and misuse of taxpayer funds.

IN FULL:

House Republicans have launched an investigation into the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), a New York-based nonprofit, over allegations of aiding illegal immigrants in evading federal immigration enforcement. The nonprofit, which has received more than $1.4 million in federal grants since 2022, is also facing scrutiny for financial ties to entities linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The investigation, led by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), follows the release of undercover footage reportedly showing CPC staff advising attendees on how to avoid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehension. During a March seminar, CPC’s Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer Carlyn Cowen allegedly recommended strategies such as “hardening your physical space” and “not opening the door at all” when ICE agents arrive.

A review of CPC’s financial records revealed that since 2018, the organization has received as much as $445,969 from Chinese government-linked sources, including the Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. These donations, along with federal funding, have raised concerns about potential foreign interference in U.S. immigration enforcement.

“I’m deeply concerned that Americans’ hard-earned taxpayer dollars were potentially used by an NGO to help illegal aliens subvert our nation’s laws,” Rep. Green stated. He also expressed alarm over CPC’s alleged ties to a communist regime “committed to undermining U.S. sovereignty.”

Founded in 1965, CPC claims to be the largest Asian-American social services organization in the U.S., offering over 50 programs across New York City. However, its financial and personnel links to Chinese government-affiliated entities, including the Committee of 100 (C100), a nonprofit accused of promoting CCP interests, have drawn further scrutiny.

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May 20, 2025
Immigration
UK

Gun-Toting Palestinian Migrant Gets Just 9 Months Jail for Illegal Entry Attempt.

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❓What Happened: A Palestinian illegal immigrant and alleged terrorist has been jailed for just nine months after attempting illegal entry into the United Kingdom by small boat.

👥 Who’s Involved: Abu Wadee, also known as Mosab Abdulkarim Al-Gassas; Judge Sarah Counsell; terrorism expert Joe Truzman.

📍 Where & When: Initially arrested in Kent, England, on March 6, 2024, after crossing the Channel.

💬 Key Quote: “There is legitimate public concern about breaches of border control,” Judge Sarah Counsell said, despite handing down a light sentence for the accused Palestinian terrorist.

⚠️ Impact: Wadee’s arrival raised security concerns due to his militant ties and rhetoric targeting Jews. His light prison sentence for illegally crossing the English Channel into the United Kingdom raises concerns about how the British justice system is handling cases involving dangerous foreign nationals who are illegally entering the country.

IN FULL:

A Palestinian man with alleged ties to Islamist militant groups and a history of anti-Semitic rhetoric has been sentenced to just nine months in prison for attempting to enter the United Kingdom illegally. Abu Wadee, also known as Mosab Abdulkarim Al-Gassas, pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court after crossing the English Channel in a small boat on March 6, 2025, without valid entry clearance. Wadee, 33, reportedly paid smugglers €1,500 (£1,300 or $1,700) to facilitate the journey and was arrested upon arrival in Kent, England.

The court heard that Wadee, who left Gaza in 2022, had previously sought asylum in Greece, Germany, and Belgium. He had no familial or financial ties to the United Kingdom and stayed in northern France for about a week before attempting the crossing. Judge Sarah Counsell highlighted the public concern over illegal boat crossings, noting the dangers involved and the profits gained by organized criminals.

Bizarrely, Judge Counsell took a moment to chastize Wadee directly, not over his ties to terrorism or violent speech towards Jewish people, but rather over his decision to cross the English Channel. The judge warned Wadee that the illegal crossing posed a significant “risk of death or injury to you and others.”

Meanwhile, videos and images posted online show Wadee expressing support for Hamas, calling for violence against Jews, and posing with an assault rifle. In one Facebook video, he reportedly called for Allah to “punish [Jews] completely.”

Terrorism expert Joe Truzman stated that Wadee had been affiliated with Gaza-based terror groups, including the Hamas-aligned Al-Qadir al-Husseini Brigades. Truzman added that Wadee gained notoriety during the Great March of Return protests from 2018 to 2022, where he participated in violent clashes at the Gaza-Israel border.

Footage obtained by The Telegraph allegedly shows Wadee throwing pipe bombs during confrontations with Israeli forces in 2021. He has also amassed a significant online following, with 170,000 TikTok followers and 189,000 YouTube subscribers.

Image by Duncan Cumming.

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Migrant Crime
May 19, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Immigration

‘No Hard Feelings’ – Legal Migrant Wrongfully Arrested Says He Still Supports Trump, ICE.

PULSE POINTS:

What Happened: Hugo Monteiro, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Brazil, was briefly detained by ICE outside Cambridge District Court in Medford due to a mix-up, but was released after officers confirmed his identity.

Who’s Involved: Hugo Monteiro, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and President Donald J. Trump’s administration.

Where & When: Medford, Massachusetts, outside Cambridge District Court, on Friday, May 16, 2025.

Key Quote: “Unfortunately, they called the wrong person, but I still support whatever they’re doing,” Monteiro said. “I voted for Trump.”

Impact: Monteiro’s support for ICE and Trump’s immigration crackdown, despite his mistaken detention, underscores public backing for America First policies to secure the border and deport illegal aliens.

IN FULL:

Naturalized U.S. citizen Hugo Monteiro has brushed off his brief detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside Cambridge District Court in Medford, Massachusetts, on May 16, 2025, affirming his support for the agency’s mission. The 31-year-old Brazilian-American, mistaken for an illegal immigrant, was quickly released after proving his citizenship and stood firm in backing Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Monteiro, who had just left the courthouse after assisting a client, was approached by four plainclothes ICE officers around 9:15 AM. “They were telling me I was under arrest, that I was in trouble,” he recalled. Handcuffed and escorted to a car, officers soon verified Monteiro’s identity, confirmed their error, and released him by 9:30 AM.

“They explained to me they wanted to make sure they had the correct person,” Monteiro said, noting the officers mentioned prior arrests near the Medford courthouse. Despite the ordeal, he harbored no resentment. “Unfortunately, they called the wrong person, but I still support whatever they’re doing,” he said. “I voted for Trump. There are a lot of bad people in this country, to be honest with you, [and they] don’t deserve to be here. No hard feelings.”

Monteiro’s detention comes amid a surge in ICE operations under Trump’s administration, which reversed a Biden-era policy banning routine courthouse arrests. Trump policy mandates coordination with court security, but Monteiro’s arrest on a public sidewalk suggests operational hiccups, as court security was unaware of the action.

Monteiro’s unwavering support highlights the public’s broad approval of Trump’s robust immigration enforcement.

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May 19, 2025
Immigration
News

Tim Walz Brands ICE Agents ‘Trump’s Modern Gestapo.’

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz compared U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Adolf Hitler’s Gestapo during a commencement speech.

👥 Who’s Involved: Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), ICE, Trump aide Stephen Miller, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

📍 Where & When: University of Minnesota Law School, Saturday.

💬 Key Quote: “Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets,” said Walz.

⚠️ Impact: Strong backlash from Trump allies and the DHS, citing increased assaults on ICE officers and misleading claims about deportation processes.

IN FULL:

Minnesota Governor and former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz sparked controversy during a Saturday address to graduates of the University of Minnesota Law School, where he referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo.” The Gestapo, a secret police force under Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist regime in Germany, was responsible for widespread atrocities and repression across Europe.

Walz alleged that ICE agents were abducting individuals in unmarked vans, denying them trials, and sending them to “foreign torture dungeons.” Notably, Walz’s 2024 running mate Kamala Harris previously compared ICE to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

Walz’s remarks provoked immediate backlash from Trump allies and federal agencies. “This vile anti-American language can only be construed as inciting insurrection and violence,” said Stephen Miller, a senior aide to President Donald J. Trump. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees ICE and called the comparison “absolutely sickening.” A DHS statement noted, “Attacks and demonization of ICE and our partners is wrong. ICE officers are now facing a 413 percent increase in assaults.”

Critics argue Walz’s claims misrepresent ICE’s role and the deportation process. Migrants facing deportation are provided legal avenues to contest their cases before immigration judges within the Department of Justice (DOJ), not criminal courts. Deportation orders are only issued after due process is observed, though expedited removal is possible for individuals who have been in the U.S. for less than two years.

Walz’s comments also come amid broader Democratic efforts to undermine Trump’s immigration policies, including his campaign promise to deport millions of illegal migrants, with pro-migration groups working to obstruct ICE operations.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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